Royal rivals on screen, Saoirse and Margot are mutual in their admiration...

MARGOT Robbie and Saoirse Ronan opened up about the unique rivalry between their characters in Mary, Queen of Scots – where Saoirse plays the monarch of the same name and Margot stars as Queen Elizabeth I.

The Oscar-nominated actresses, pictured, appeared on BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show with film director Josie Rourke yesterday where they discussed the flick – which also stars former Doctor Who actor David Tennant and Memento’s Guy Pearce.

Carlow native Saoirse, 24, said: ‘In the film, you see the admiration between the two of them. There’s definitely a rivalry, professionally and politically speaking.’

The film portrays the far-off conflict between Mary and Elizabeth who were ruling in separate kingdoms. The actresses have only one scene together in the film, and did not see each other at all during filming otherwise.

Josie told Metro.co.uk that the pair were ‘kept apart’ before their scene which served as the film’s climax.

Margot, 28, who underwent a dramatic transformation for her role as the English monarch, described getting into character for the role as ‘fascinating’. She said: ‘It was fascinating to explore the inner conflict between what Elizabeth thought she should do as a ruler and also admiring the way Mary was ruling in such a different way.

‘I think it terrified her, what she was doing. I think she thought it was dangerous, playing that game.

‘She sacrificed a lot I think, in order to be that representation of the throne and ultimately severed all ties with her womanhood.’ Lady Bird star Saoirse revealed it was refreshing to be able to tell Mary’s ‘real story’ after years of misinformation about her, or as Saoirse puts it: ‘What we would essentially call fake news now’ – produced and manipulated by the likes of William Cecil, who was Elizabeth’s right-hand man.

‘She was painted for a long time in history as this woman who was way in over her head and didn’t have any mind for politics at all and that just wasn’t really true.’

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Margot opened up about her physical transformation into Elizabeth, explaining the make-up made her feel ‘safer’.

She said: ‘I actually feel more vulnerable when I’m dressed similarly to myself. It’s also harder to disassociate myself from the character.

‘But playing Queen Elizabeth, I didn’t recognise myself, and obviously, I didn’t sound like myself.

‘So the process of becoming her gave me time to stop being myself and made it easier to transform.’